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Senior Community Planner

Hybrid
Senior Level
Full-Time

Top Benefits

4 weeks of vacation
Comprehensive health benefits package
Health Spending Account (HSA)

About the role

Company Profile Beringia is a small, dynamic, and award-winning community planning firm that specializes in working collaboratively with Indigenous communities to strengthen community health and relations, respect and honour culture, promote land stewardship, and generate economic independence for current and future generations. Beringia excels in participatory community-based planning where processes are guided by local, cultural protocols and values. We offer a variety of services to communities, including comprehensive/ strategic planning, research, decision analysis, communication, facilitation, and training. These services have been applied to topics as diverse as land use planning, comprehensive community planning, governance, health and wellness, infrastructure, sustainability planning, and community economic development. We value building strong relationships - both with our community relationships and internally as a team, based on respect, trust, listening, and applied learning. Our approach empowers communities to decide their own future based on self-determination, strength, and positive change. See www.beringia.ca for details.

What we value • Collaborative and respectful approaches to working with communities • Curiosity, humility, and cultural awareness • Adaptability and comfort working in complex and evolving environments • A commitment to supporting Indigenous self-determination and community priorities

Position Overview Beringia is seeking a Senior Community Planner with 10 - 12 years of experience in Indigenous Community Planning, with a strong emphasis on land use planning and comprehensive community planning. This is a Senior Leadership role responsible for managing complex projects, building strong client relationships, and providing strategic guidance to communities and internal teams. The successful candidate will lead projects from initiation to completion, mentor junior and intermediate staff, and contribute to strengthening Beringia’s planning practice and systems.

Hours: 40 hours a week, with minimum 3 days per week at our office in North Vancouver Salary: $108,000 - $128,000 per year. Benefits: • 4 weeks of vacation. • Comprehensive health benefits package (cost-shared). • $600 annual Health Spending Account (HSA) / Wellness Spending Account (WSA), fully funded by Beringia. • 5 paid sick days and 3 paid wellness days per year. • $75 monthly transportation subsidy. • Annual professional development allowance.

Key Responsabilities

  1. Project Leadership and Delivery • Lead complex, multi-faceted and culturally sensitive planning projects from initiation through to completion • Develop and manage project scopes, workplans, budgets, and timelines • Track and actively manage project budgets to ensure work remains within scope, timelines, and financial capacity • Identify risks to budget and proactively adjust approach as needed • Propose practical alternatives or phased approaches when needed to optimize time, budget, and team capacity while maintaining project integrity • Ensure high-quality deliverables that meet client expectations and Beringia standards • Coordinate internal teams, community partners, and sub-contractors

  2. Indigenous Engagement and Relationship Building • Build and maintain strong, respectful, and long-term relationships with Indigenous communities and leadership • Design and facilitate community engagement processes grounded in cultural values and participatory practices • Travel to remote communities to lead workshops, meetings, and planning sessions • Support and mentor local community planning staff where appropriate

  3. Strategic Planning / Avisory • Lead the development of land use plans, comprehensive community plans, and related policy frameworks • Provide strategic advice to communities on planning priorities, risks, and opportunities • Manage client expectations by clearly communicating scope, timelines, and realistic outcomes aligned with available budget and capacity • Support clients in making informed decisions by balancing community priorities with practical constraints (time, budget, resources, etc.) • Interpret and integrate community knowledge, technical inputs, and engagement findings into actionable plans • Present recommendations to leadership, councils, and stakeholders

  4. Team Leadership / Organizational Development • Supervise, mentor, and support junior and intermediate planners, interns, and subcontractors • Provide quality control and review of deliverables • Foster team development, collaboration, and continuous learning • Support or lead proposal writing, RFP responses, and funding applications • Contribute to improving Beringia’s internal project management systems, tools, and planning frameworks • Support the development of consistent processes, templates, and best practices • Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, quality, and collaboration across projects

Experience and Qualifications Essential: • 10-12 years years leading complex Indigenous planning initiatives, governance projects, and strategic partnerships. • Master’s degree in Planning or a related discipline • Strong project management experience, including managing multiple projects simultaneously • Organizational technical expert. Develops standards, frameworks, methodologies, and innovative approaches while providing technical leadership across multiple practice areas. • Strong understanding of the cultural, political, historical, and legal context of Indigenous planning • Proven facilitation and community engagement experience • Excellent communication, writing, and analytical skills • Strong organizational and time management skills • Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a small team environment • Willingness and ability to travel to remote communities

Desirable: • Professional designation (RPP, MCIP) or eligibility • Experience with GIS and spatial analysis • Proficiency in design and visualization tools (InDesign, Illustrator, etc.) • Experience supporting or mentoring Indigenous community planning staff • Visually and graphically strong (reports, maps, presentations)

How to Apply • Submit a resume, including contact details for 3 references and a 1 to 2-page cover letter • In your cover letter, summarize how your background, skills, strengths, and professional goals would contribute to the position, and support Indigenous community planning/development

Application deadline: August 14, 2026 Anticipated start date: TBD Address your application to: Jeff Cook, President Submit your application electronically to admin@beringia.ca

Thank you for your interest. Only selected applicants will be contacted for an interview. We encourage both Indigenous and non-Indigenous candidates to apply.

About Beringia Community Planning

Architecture and Planning
11-50 employees
Founded in 1999

Beringia Community Planning is a dynamic, award-winning, participatory-based planning organization that specializes in Indigenous community planning, including First Nations strategic and comprehensive community planning (CCP).

Beringia brings an innovative approach to its participatory, community-based planning practice. We focus on building long-lasting relationships based on trust, respect, mutual learning and friendship. We encourage individual (children, youth, adults and Elders), family, community and Council’s perspectives in making decisions about process and priorities. Beringia’s community-based planning approach honours local culture, knowledge, values and symbols. It supports inclusion, promotes social capital, builds leadership and capacity, and targets learning, recognition and action.

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